'No Passports to Terrorists': Dhaka Rejects Ousted PM's Return From Exile
The ousted prime minister, Sheikh Hasina, says she plans to surrender in court after a death sentence was handed down in her absence. Dhaka wants India to extradite her.
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Bangladesh on Monday rejected a request for a new passport from ousted prime minister Sheikh Hasina, who says she intends to return from self-imposed exile in India and surrender in court.
The government said it does not provide a “passport to a terrorist” and renewed its demand that New Delhi hand her over.
Hasina’s lawyers applied for a passport and national identity card in a letter to Preeti Rahman, Bangladesh’s acting high commissioner in New Delhi, according to Reuters, which reviewed the letter.
The London-based lawyers cited reports that both documents had been revoked and requested swift processing, citing Hasina’s Bangladeshi citizenship and the country’s obligations under international human rights agreements.
Hasina plans to return in December. Her aides said they would announce a date once the formalities were complete.
Bangladesh’s war crimes court sentenced Hasina to death in her absence last November for ordering a deadly crackdown on the student-led uprising that ended her rule in 2024.
Hasina has denied the charges.
Dhaka Presses India for Extradition
“We have an active extradition treaty with India. We want her handed over,” Humaiun Kobir, Bangladesh’s state minister for foreign affairs, told reporters.
India’s foreign ministry did not immediately respond to Reuters’ request for comment.
In April, the ministry said it was examining Dhaka’s extradition request and wanted to strengthen ties with Bangladesh’s new government.
Relations deteriorated sharply after India gave Hasina refuge.
Hasina served as prime minister for 20 years across several terms and retains support among some Bangladeshis.
Her Awami League, once the country’s largest party, was banned after her ouster. Many of her party colleagues are in jail or in self-imposed exile.
Her return could sharpen divisions in Bangladesh as Dhaka seeks to restore stability after more than two years of upheaval.
It could also ease a source of friction between Dhaka and New Delhi.
Ahmet Koçak
Ahmet Koçak is a news editor at Clash Report based in Istanbul. He previously served as Deputy Managing Editor at Türkiye Today, helping launch the digital news platform in 2023, and spent three years as Senior Editor at Daily Sabah. His work focuses on breaking news, geopolitics, international affairs, and digital journalism.
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